Water-wheel unit



July 27, 1926.

F. l.. McQulsToN WATER WHEEL UNIT July 27 1926.

. F. L.. MCQUISTON WATER WHEEL UNIT original Fi'ledFeb. 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR. FAA/K ./fQa/sm/v BY @My-.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented July Z7,

FRANK L. MGQUISTON, 0F REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

Original application filed February 26, 1924, Serial No. 695,334.. Divided and this application filed September 22, 1925.

lv y invention relates generally to water motors and particularly to water wheels therefor, and is a division of my (2o-pending application Serial Number @95,33% filed February 26, 1924.

lt is a purpose of my present invention to provide a water wheel unit embodying a plurality of wheels mounted for bodily oscillating movement and rotational movement about their own axes, each wheel having blades Vautomatically feathered under the action of the moving water in which they are submerged to fully utilize the power of the moving water in effecting rotation thereof.

l will describe only one form of water wheel unit embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In. the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a view showing` in side elevation one form of water wheel` unit embodying my invention in applied position within a water motor;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical and longitudinal sectional view of the water wheel unit shown in the preceding views.

Referring` specifically to the drawings, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the views, my inven-l tion in its present embodiment is shown associated with a stationary frame made up of vertical beams and 1G and horizontal beams 18, the frame being of rectangular form and with the vertical. beams adapted to be imbedded in the bottom of the body of water in which it is adapted to operate. A sector gear S is suitably secured to the frame, and this gear is made up of an annulus 19 provided with flanges 20`in which are secured rods 2Oa constituting teeth.

A carriage, designated generally at K, is supported for swinging movement vupon the frame by mea-.ns of stationary hangers 2l and 2l. secured to and depending from the horizontal beams 18 and receiving` shafts 22 and 22a. Movable hangers 23 and 23 are mounted on the shafts 22 and are provided with bearings 24e and 24a which receive shafts 25 and 25a. The shafts are journaled in bearings 26 and 26a secured to the carriage K.

Serial No. 57,922.

By this arrangement the hangers 23 and 23" are pivotally sustained upon the stationary hangers 2l and 2l, and the latter through the shafts 25 and 252L serve to support the carriage H for pivotal movement about the shafts and 22u as a center.

Suitably jouinaled in the beams 18 of the frame. a shaft 2'!" which constitutes the driven member oi' the motor from which power is adapted to be taken for performing useful work. rlhis shaft is adapted to be continuously rotated in the same direction, and in the present instance l have shown a single water wheel unit embodying my inveution operatively connected to the shaft 2'? for driving the latter, but as this connection forms no part of the present invention, a detail description thereof is omitted.

rlhe water wheel unit embodying my invention comprises an upper water wheel lV, an intermediate water wheel W and a lower wheel ll. As clearly shown. in Figures 'l and 2, these three wheels are arranged at different levels upon the carriage l and are wholly supported by the carriage l so as to move with the latter. As shown in Figure 3, the wheel W comprises a cylindrical body 28, the ends of which are secured to flanged disks 29. Stub shafts 30 are fixed to the disks 29V and are journaled in bearings 31 formed on brackets secured to the carriage l. lrllades are pivoted at the points indicated at 34e to the disks 29 so as to be free to occupy active or inactive positions with respect to a body of moving water or what is commonly known feathering. Subsidiary blades are pivoted to the disks 29 at the points indicated at ett), and these blades are adapted to be engaged by the blades 33, whereby the latter are sustained for the proper interval in active position so as to oppose movement of the warn-r and thus set up rotation of the wheel as a unit. ln the active position of the blades they engage the lower edge of one. blade and the inner face of an adjacent blade 83, thereby holding the two blades against movement to a horizontal position in order that the force of the moving water may act upon the blades and thus set up rotation of the wheel. However, as the wheel rotates the movement of the water upon the opposite sides of the blade 33 allows them to swing free of the subsidiary blades 35 so that their edges are 

